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Amid a rash of speeding fatalities, city lawmakers yesterday urged Albany to put the pedal to the metal on a bill that would allow up to 40 cameras to be used to catch and ticket drivers racing along streets.
“Speeding is, tragically, the No. 1 cause of fatal crashes in New York City,” said Council Speaker Christine Quinn. “Speed cameras are a smart deterrent.”
The cameras would capture license plate numbers of vehicles driven by lead-footed drivers, leaving the owners responsible for the fines regardless of who is behind the wheel.
As with red light cameras, lawmakers in Albany must approve the bill for the pilot program because it generates revenue for the city.
Under the current proposal, vehicle owners whose car is caught on camera would face a $25 fine for going up to 10 mph over the posted limit, $50 when caught going 10 to 30 mph over the limit, and $100 for drivers racing over 30 mph over the posted limit.
Quinn and Councilman James Vacca, head of the Transportation Committee, said the cameras could be moved to different locations to prevent drivers from adjusting their routes to avoid detection.
The city already has 150 red-light cameras and cameras for HOV lanes and bus lanes, but none for speeding.
This is the third year a speed camera bill has been introduced in Albany.
The bill may stand a better chance this year. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver has included money for speed cameras in school zones in the Assembly’s budget, but that still needs to survive budget negotiations.
Opponents of speed cameras say they are more about generating money than ensuring safety and are a violation of due process because there is no way to cross examine a camera in court the way a traffic cop can be questioned.
“There are much better ways to manage speed than with cameras,” said John Bowman with the National Motorists Association. “They are set up to take advantage of speed limits that are set artificially low in order to entrap motorists who are in fact driving safely with traffic.”
The new call for speed cameras follows the deaths of a Williamsburg couple and their unborn baby and this week’s fatal collision that killed a 16-year-old outside La Guardia Community College.